


Vivid Mist: Rhythm and Flow

by ActFast231



Category: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Dancing, Friendship, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:15:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24664468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ActFast231/pseuds/ActFast231
Summary: SoL story I wrote for the PMD group "Rival Gates", on Deviantart. I figured it worked well enough as a standalone story to transfer here!Teresa takes some time to engage in her only real hobby: Dance! Away from the public eye, of course.
Kudos: 3





	Vivid Mist: Rhythm and Flow

_Though it might seem difficult to get some private time when away from home, there were thankfully some secluded spots around Asteria where one might find themselves away from prying eyes. Something Teresa was most thankful for, as this was something she wouldn’t be caught dead doing with anyone around to see her. The Froslass made a sweep through the small clearing she had found, making sure there were none about, lest someone be taking a stroll through the town’s outskirts.  
  
_ _All clear, it would seem. Not a soul to be seen. With a relieved sigh, she floated back over to the middle of the clearing, double checking her available space. Should be good enough. Right, time to focus. Clear the mind, release the worry lingering within, and **relax**. Eye closed, the ghostly woman performed some slow breathing exercises, something she picked up from Nilus way back when. Her features visible calmed, her tension falling away as she prepared for what she would do next.  
  
_ _Teresa focused back, to a certain tune she had heard quite a bit as a Snorunt. It was energetic, upbeat, yet carrying an almost battle-like charge to it. After a minute or so, she had it clear in her head, vividly enough that she might be fooled into believing the song was playing in reality, under more bizarre circumstances. Having that locked down, her eyes still closed, she began to move. Slowly, at first, her form waving and shifting subtly, as if getting a feel for what she was doing. She was, after all, still relatively new to this.  
  
_ _Yet as seconds rolled by, she began to build momentum, growing more confident in her actions. One may struggle to determine what was stranger, seeing a ghost devoid of legs dancing, or that the ghost in question was, for the most part, rather no-nonsense. Footwork might be harder when one lacks feet, but to her credit, the Froslass attempted to make the most of it with how she moved. She had no specific dance or technique, simply improvising as she allowed herself to move with a flow only she seemed aware of.  
  
_ _She seemed to swoop down near the ground, brushing the bottom of her ‘dress’ against the forest floor, before fluttering back up in a smooth motion, her arms following the direction as they followed along. Indeed, her expression of the music within her mind was fast, aggressive, yet showing some effort in keeping it smooth from one action to the next. Amazingly, after some minutes, she even appeared to smile, even as her eyes remained closed. Regardless of the actual quality of her dancing, Teresa genuinely seemed to be enjoying herself!  
  
_ _Time seemed lost to her as she glided across the clearing, allowing her inner beat to take her for however long it desired. Yet after some time, the spirit seemed to find a natural conclusion, her body hanging low, body tensing in anticipation, before she shot upward. Her upward momentum shifted into the closest thing to a back flip one such as her was like to get, ending in a tight spin, body halting in something that might be mistaken for a battle stance. The only sound that could be heard was the ambiance of the forest, and her own heavy breathing. Unsurprising, given how intense her movements were. Her head rose, and her emerald eyes finally opened…  
  
_ _… and what should greet her but the sight of a Castform giving her the widest grin his lips could manage.  
  
_ _The Froslass audibly yelped in shock, body lurching back as instinct momentarily kicked in. Her body seemed to vanish into icy mist for a moment, becoming corporeal once more immediately after. Once she realized who it was, her expression went from alarm, to indignant rage.  
  
_ _“Dammit, Nilus! You could’ve at least coughed or something!” She shouted, her tone sounding utterly offended. Her sudden company didn't seem phased by her outburst, floating into the clearing proper.  
  
_ _“Sorry about that. But let’s be honest, you would’ve jumped anyway, and I didn’t kill your flow.” He explained, voice as bright as ever. Teresa sighed theatrically.  
  
_ _“Fine, I’ll give you that much.” She conceded. “So uh, how long have you been there?”  
  
_ _“Few minutes, enough to see you really go in on that dance.” He beamed. “That was awesome, by the way!”  
  
_ _“I… thanks. But you know I don’t want to be watched when I do that.” She defended.  
  
_ _“You’re fine, Teresa. If there’s anyone who ain’t gonna judge you, it’s me.” Nilus assured confidently. “But I really think you ought to give public performance a shot! That right there was really cool. It was like…” He pondered how to describe what he interpreted from her movements, humming loudly. “It was like how you move in a fight, but artsy. Passionate, y’know?”  
  
_ _“Sure, but… well, that was all just off instinct. I can’t imagine it’d make for a good show, not to mention the lack of musical accompaniment, and I’d be far too worried about leaving everyone off put or disappointed.” She listed off, a rare show of anxiety from the otherwise composed ghost.  
  
_ _“Please, that was great! With some practice, I can absolutely see that going over well. Finding someone to play music can’t be hard, either. But!” He drifted over, his head bumping against hers. Their version of ‘putting a hand on one’s shoulder’.”It’s your call. You ain’t gotta do anything you’d hate.” His assurance was punctuated by the warm, supportive friend’ voice he carried. Despite herself, Teresa allowed herself a tiny smile.  
  
_ _"Thanks. I don’t think I could anytime in the near future. But…” She shrugged meekly. “Never say never, I suppose. If nothing else, it makes for a good hobby. Keeps my thoughts from getting out of hand.”  
  
_ _“Absolutely! Then it’s doing its job as a hobby!” Nilus agreed, delighted to see that she had actually found a good outlet. “But anyway, I should be getting back to town. Come find me when you’re all danced out, and we can see about grabbing a bite to eat. Restore all that burnt energy.” Floating back the way he came, he called out over his shoulder. “Have fun!”  
  
_ _As quickly as he came, the Castform had departed, leaving his Froslass guildmate alone once more. Though she didn’t say it often, she was very thankful for his advice to try something more creative. Dancing was leagues more fun than she would have anticipated. And who knows. Maybe, if she practiced enough, and grew more confident… she could see herself doing this more publicly. But for now, she was content to indulge in solitude._  
  
_It was several hours later that she returned to Asteria proper. Her and Nilus shared a much bigger dinner than normal that evening. Not that he minded one bit._


End file.
